No Christmas dinner spread would be complete without everyone’s favourite vegetable, the humble Brussels sprouts.
I jest. Not everyone’s a fan of this mini-cabbage loaded with folate, vitamins C and K. Prepared by the clueless, sprouts will turn into soggy layers of leaves that squelch in your mouth which would stop even the most enthusiastic foodie in his tracks. Others complain about its bitter taste because of the high levels of glucosinolates located in the center of the sprout. Boiling them fast or simmering them slowly, the result will remain bitter. However, instead of keeping them whole, halve them and by boiling them in plenty of salted water, most of the bitterness would leach out.
Brussels sprouts can be baked, boiled, braised, sautéed, steamed and even deep fried. Also you can sous vide them, like I did in this incredible sous vide Brussels sprouts recipe. If you’re a cookbook aficionado, you would have noticed that it’s commonly paired with bacon, cheese, chestnuts and cream. If you want to go off the beaten track, the following ingredients would also work: almonds, mushrooms, mustard, nutmeg, sweet peppers, vinegar and walnuts.
This recipe was inspired by Carluccio’s take on brussels sprouts for Christmas.
For this meal I roasted a chicken which I roasted at a low temperature for hours while basting it with butter every now and then. Keeping the chicken company in the oven were slices of kabocha that came out super sweet and tender that complemented the savoury sprouts wonderfully.
If you noticed the quirky yet beautiful crockery and tea towel used in the photo, you can buy them at Rex London .
What is your favourite Christmas side dish and why?
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Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Blue Cheese and Pecan Nuts
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6
Description
The perfect Christmas dinner should contain this brussels sprout side dish.
Ingredients
- 1kg (2lbs) brussels sprouts, peeled
- 30ml (2 tbsp) butter
- 150g (5oz) bacon, thinly sliced
- 150g (5 oz) blue cheese, crumbled
- 50g (2oz) pecan nuts, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Peel the brussels and blanch in salted boiling water until tender.
- In a separate pan, melt the butter and fry the butter in it until cooked and golden.
- Add the sprouts to the bacon and toss around to coat all over.
- Place the vegetables in a large serving dish and scatter with blue cheese and nuts.
Notes
- You can use any type of bacon in this dish. Pecans can be substituted for walnuts and any blue cheese will do. Instead of butter use chili oil.
- The following types of blue cheese will work well in this recipe: stilton, roquefort, cambozola, cashel blue, danish blue cheese, dolcelatte and gorgonzola.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 229.7g
- Calories: 354
- Sugar: 3.9 g
- Sodium: 547 mg
- Fat: 27.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 11.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 18.2 g
- Fiber: 7.8 g
- Protein: 15.1 g
- Cholesterol: 51 mg
P.S. This post was sponsored by Carluccio’s.
Tracey Peach
Pigs In Blankets because they are so tasty
Tracy Nixon
I love the roasted parsnips – I just adore the taste and they are a treat as we don’t have them that often!
★★★★★
Tracy Nixon
I love the roasted parsnips – I just adore the taste and they are a treat as we don’t have them that often!
★★★★★
kim neville
I like Pigs in blankets as the only time we really have is at Christmas with gravy and stuffing yum
iain maciver
pigs in blankets, stuffing, sausagemeat, sprouts
laura banks
the brussel sprouts the hubby cooks them with pancetta and garlic
Jo m welsh
Pigs and blankets just because they are a great combination and so tatsty
Samantha loughlin
My dad homemade stuffing xxx
Paula Readings
I like sausage, sage & onion stuffing
melanie stirling
Red cabbage with apple,it’s just so delicious but not something we have very often.
Ruth Harwood
I love stuffing with yorkies and gravy 🙂
Kavey
My sister adores sprouts so we cannot have a Christmas dinner without them! I prefer savoy cabbage myself, but the addition of bacon and cheese does indeed make sprouts more palatable!
Kavey
My sister adores sprouts so we cannot have a Christmas dinner without them! I prefer savoy cabbage myself, but the addition of bacon and cheese does indeed make sprouts more palatable!
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy
Yay for sprouts recipes! I have one going live tomorrow too. I just love that you have added blue cheese to yours though. I am going to do that next time 🙂
layra@howtocookgoodfood
I love sprouts both cooked and raw but your addition of blue cheese and pecan nuts is definitely the way forward. I am pleased your Thermocook is working out, I need to get testing mine this weekend!
aaron broad
I really enjoy stuffing at christmas
Laura Pritchard
Pigs in Blankets
Matt McAndrew
Roast sweet potato. A really beautiful alternative to the traditional spud.
Matt McAndrew
Roast sweet potato. A really beautiful alternative to the traditional spud.
claire woods
I do love sprouts. I love the taste.
claire woods
I do love sprouts. I love the taste.
Claire Ward
Love stuffing
Kim Styles
pigs in blankets!!!
Rosana @ Hot&CHilli Food and Travel Blog
that’s a great use of leftovers : sprinkle crumbled blue cheese and chopped nuts! thanks for the great suggestions! R
Andrew
I usually cook Brussels Sprouts with pancetta and/or chestnuts. Not thought of adding blue cheese as well. Shall have to experiment.
★★★★
Sarah S
I love honey glazed carrots and parsnips 🙂
Samantha Fernley
Crispy roast potatoes, very calorific but delicious.
Keith Hunt
I just like Stuffing and a big jar of apple sauce
Keith Hunt
I just like Stuffing and a big jar of apple sauce
tracey grevat
love pigs in blankets. It`s the one thing everyone eats this time of year
tracey grevat
love pigs in blankets. It`s the one thing everyone eats this time of year
Laura Nice
Pigs in blankets always are a winner in our house!!
sofia s.
pigs in blankets – i love them!
sofia s.
pigs in blankets – i love them!
Lynsey Buchanan
I love pigs in blankets they are very moreish
Meeta
Oh yes to this – all my favorite ingredients! Loving it!
Rebecca Phillips
mine has to be pigs in blankets. sausages and bacon – what’s not to like!?
★★★★★
pete c
braised red cabbage, as it can add a nice tangy taste to many a dish
Hannah Igoe
I love chesnuts roasted
Hannah Igoe
I am feeling very hungry after reading this!
Anna Crowley
I love spiced red cabbage with walnuts. It so delicious and Christmassy!
Anna Crowley
I love spiced red cabbage with walnuts. It so delicious and Christmassy!
Rachel Wise
Yorkshire Pudding as a treat!
Rachel Wise
Yorkshire Pudding as a treat!
Sadiyya
Honey glazed roast vegetables are our family favourite.
Sadiyya
Honey glazed roast vegetables are our family favourite.
Emily C
Roasted parsnips!!! So yummy!!
Victoria Prince
Mine is probably the honey glazed roast carrots and parsnips 🙂 I do love sprouts though
Victoria Prince
Mine is probably the honey glazed roast carrots and parsnips 🙂 I do love sprouts though
Jade Hewlett
I like stuffing as its tasty and we don’t have it that often throughout the year.
Sheri Darby
Our unconventional samosas or pancake rolls
Angela Macdonald
I love pigs in blankets because of the salty/smoky taste and I also love sprouts sauteed with garlic, a tiny dash of olive oil and bacon, as they remind me of when I lived in the canary islands as I had them in a restaurant there and loved them.
Angela Macdonald
I love pigs in blankets because of the salty/smoky taste and I also love sprouts sauteed with garlic, a tiny dash of olive oil and bacon, as they remind me of when I lived in the canary islands as I had them in a restaurant there and loved them.
Jo McPherson
Sprouts with bacon and chestnuts – we love them
Lizzy Cooper
Hmm, I dont really have one!
Lizzy Cooper
Hmm, I dont really have one!
Judith
Has to be roasted parsnips! Pretty much the only time we eat them and I look forward to it so much!
Judith
Has to be roasted parsnips! Pretty much the only time we eat them and I look forward to it so much!
Aaron Milne
Pigs in blankets are a big favourite
David Crabb
I really love sprouts and they are a nutritional powerhouse!
Kirsty Sparks
Stuffing 🙂
★★★★★
Steven Hunter
Pigs in blankets!
lynn neal
Roast parsnips with honey and sesame seeds
Margaret Clarkson
Sausagemeat stuffing balls because they taste good with the turkey
Natalie Crossan
Pigs in blankets! – so yummy!
M Allen
Bet I’m not the first to say pigs in blankets!
★★★★
Emma Ridgway
Stuffing is my favourite, it’s really tasty.
Jessica Townley
Stuffing….it’s delicious!
Jessica Townley
Stuffing….it’s delicious!
Lyndsey Jones
I love stuffing! I went to my boyfriends parents for Christmas for the first time a couple of years ago and they served up some very sad packet stuffing. This year I made sure I offered to ‘help out with the cooking’ and made two tasty homemade stuffings – a sausage and chestnut, and a lemon, apple and herb. Both delicious and both went down well!
Lyndsey Jones
I love stuffing! I went to my boyfriends parents for Christmas for the first time a couple of years ago and they served up some very sad packet stuffing. This year I made sure I offered to ‘help out with the cooking’ and made two tasty homemade stuffings – a sausage and chestnut, and a lemon, apple and herb. Both delicious and both went down well!
Renil M. George
Did you say Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Blue Cheese and Pecan Nuts? Yay!
★★★★★